


Hey, Brother

by context_please



Series: The Meaning of Brotherhood [3]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Gen, I love this show fite me, Sibling Bonding, just wrote this thinking about what they were like as kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 05:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12382053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/context_please/pseuds/context_please
Summary: Chuck chattered away about his day, rattling off a play-by-play. While Ellie watched, nothing appeared to be wrong. Perhaps Chuck had been waiting for her to ask?That seemed like the logical answer, but even as she responded with, ‘Great job, Chuck!’ she still couldn’t shake the feeling.





	Hey, Brother

On the walk home from school, Chuck was quiet.

Ellie wouldn’t have been worried, except for the fact that Chuck was never usually quiet on the walk home from school. Their neighborhood was quiet and unremarkable, and Chuck never had any problem filling the silence. He talked about his lessons and tests, especially his good grades. The walk home from school was their chance to relax for a while before returning home and practically running a household. Their father sometimes came around, but the most he ever did for them was order groceries online and keep money in Ellie’s bank account. At least it was better than what their mother had done.

She glanced over at Chuck again, more worried than before, but his eyes were light and there was a bounce in his step.

‘So how did you do in your Math test?’ she asked, and with that the floodgates opened.

Chuck chattered away about his day, rattling off a play-by-play. While Ellie watched, nothing appeared to be wrong. Perhaps Chuck had been waiting for her to ask?

That seemed like the logical answer, but even as she responded with, ‘Great job, Chuck!’ she still couldn’t shake the feeling.

 

 

‘Chuck! Dinner’s ready!’

Ellie had just taken the pot off of the hot plate and scooped a heap of sauce onto the pasta when she realized she couldn’t hear Chuck’s huge feet pounding down the hallway. Chuck always wanted food – he’d never miss the chance to eat it when it was hot enough to burn his mouth out. Worry ratcheting up by tenfold, Ellie left the pot on the counter and padded to his room, quietly pushing open the door.

Light streamed into the room from the window to the left, turning the room a glowing orange as the sun dipped under the horizon. As usual, Chuck’s bed was a mess – unmade and covered in clothes and pillows. She couldn’t see her brother anywhere.

Cautiously, Ellie dodged the mess and rounded the other side of the bed. There, Chuck was leaning against the wall, squeezed in between the bedside table and the wall. His thighs were pressed against his chest, head resting on his knees. Shoulders shaking, she could hear him sniffling into his chest.

Ellie folded herself onto the floor, shuffling close to Chuck. ‘Hey, brother,’ she whispered quietly, reaching out to run a hand through his thick hair. Coming closer again, she stopped when their legs were pressed together. ‘What’s wrong?’

Chuck took a shaky breath, obviously steadying himself. ‘The boys at school call me a “nerd”,’ he said into his knees.

Ellie was instantly hurt for her brother. For many people, “nerd” was still an extremely derogatory term, and to hear Chuck was being bullied because he was taller than other ten-year-olds and liked different things was devastating. Her brother may stand out in a crowd, but that didn’t mean he should be picked on.

Placing a hand under his chin, Ellie gently coaxed his head up. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet with tears, but she ignored that and gave him a warm smile. ‘You know what, Chuck? Those boys are just jealous ‘cause you can build a real circuit board. They’re jealous ‘cause you’re the best Game Boy player in the whole city!’

Her brother’s expression was changing, getting lighter, so she pushed on. ‘Chuck, you are the most amazing, the best, of all of those boys. You like something different, and that’s okay. You are unique, Chuck. That’s the very best thing about you. They can call you what they want, but the only thing that matters is what you think, yeah?’

‘Yeah,’ Chuck said, smile spreading across his face.

Wiping his cheeks, Ellie gave him one more pat on the head before she stood up, holding a hand out to her little brother. ‘Now, if you don’t hurry up the pasta will get cold,’ she warned.

They grinned at each other, and Chuck took off down the hallway, huge feet pounding the whole way, like they always should.


End file.
